One XL entryway table, lots of styling ideas

This Brooklyn architect wants everyone to get personal.

A bat-infested fireplace, bad ’80s additions, water damage—architects Joe McGuier and Megan Prime, cofounders of Brooklyn, New York, firm JAM, have dealt with all of it and more. The duo have made a name for themselves reviving—and often thoughtfully reinventing—historic properties (peep this 1860s farmhouse we featured a little while ago). Their superpower is seeing the charm beneath the years of neglect and ill-advised renovations, and as Megan shares today, they want all of us to develop that skill. Also ahead: the gift JAM gives every year, Megan’s go-to move for a quick room facelift, and how she’d style a reader’s XL entryway table. —Lindsey Mather, digital director

Current Mood

What I’m loving: The trend toward individualism. It aligns so well with our general love for eclecticism, which we think makes all projects much more personal and timeless. This approach celebrates the uniqueness of the space and the people it belongs to, resulting in designs that are both authentic and enduring.

How I’d bring the look home:

• Use handmade tile as a backsplash in a mudroom or butler’s pantry. I can easily imagine arranging a beautiful vase of flowers in front of the flora-filled tiles in my shopping list (below). I could also see that tile used as an inlay on a custom coffee or side table.

• Repurpose a Swedish blanket chest (also below) as a side table in a living room next to a sofa, layered with a floor lamp behind it. That way you can use it as a table and maintain the ease of accessing the storage, so you can pull out your favorite cozy throw blanket when there’s a chill in the air.

• Update the door hardware. It gives instant personality to any space and can be easily swapped out to elevate a rental apartment.

1. These sheets from Coyuchi are 100-percent GOTS-certified organic cotton and undyed. The perfect blend of luxury and sustainability.